The San Francisco 49ers had a crushing blow this weekend when they lost linebacker Fred Warner to a broken and dislocated ankle, effectively ending his season.
As a result, the defense flustered a bit, having some miscommunication issues and getting beaten in coverage a few times en route to a 30-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Several players acknowledged the weight of such a massive injury after the game, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said they must find a way to move forward with a next-man-up mentality. Insert Tatum Bethune, whom the 49ers drafted in the seventh round last year with the 251st pick.
Bethune was a surprise last offseason, impressing enough to make the 53-man roster as a rookie. Now, he’s the team’s starting middle linebacker and will be responsible for handling the communication in his second career start this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons.
How was Bethune in his first major action of the season this past weekend?
“I thought Tatum did a real good job,” Shanahan said. “He had a couple mistakes which were understandable, kind of what I think I was saying on Monday. But, there was a lot of clips that, I was telling everyone when I get on the plane and I start watching the tape and it starts off a little depressing for me, just how the game went and thinking about it without Fred and then I stopped and re-watched it a different way from a different light and it was very inspiring watching how Tatum played. A bunch of our young guys, there are some good things on that tape. Got to clean up some mistakes that we made, but I liked how the film looked and how the guys played.”
The 49ers have specifically carved out roles for certain linebackers upon entering the team. For Bethune, the confidence came before he was even drafted with his tape at Florida State. Now, it’s time for him to step up.
“I think it has to start with how you play linebacker. Can you run? Can you hit? Can you make tackles? Can you cover people? I thought he did that at a very high level in college and he’s done it very well since he’s gotten here,” Shanahan said about why Bethune is the best fit at the MIKE.
“This is why he made our team. What was he a seventh-round choice or an undrafted free agent? I’m not sure which one. Can’t remember. But, we’ve liked him since the beginning. He’s shown that ability. I think it’s been good for him to be behind someone like Fred and see how he does it. Tatum, to me, is so made of the right stuff and he’s so handled this year and a half the right way that he’s definitely more than ready for this opportunity.”
San Francisco has relied on quite a few Day 3 picks in the Shanahan and John Lynch era, with many becoming strong successes. It’s time for another Day 3 pick to step up at a crucial point in the season for the 49ers.
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